Unsung Heroes: Celebrating the Impact of Social Workers during Social Worker Appreciation Month

Social workers need to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication to their jobs, providing a safe place for students to talk to an adult they can trust. North’s social workers are caring, friendly, and thoughtful, creating an environment in which students can learn and thrive.

Gianna: What inspired you to become a social worker? Why did you want to go into this field?

Mrs. Ovadia: So when I was a student at Clarkstown many years ago, someone came into my classroom for homeroom and introduced themselves and said, “I am one of the school psychologists and I’m here if you ever have any problems or need anyone to talk to, I am in the school.” I thought to myself, “Oh that would be something I would like to do.” But I always knew I wanted to be in the psychology field and when I learned more about social work after an internship, I thought that would be something I was interested in. 

Ms. Hernandez: So for me, my reasons were similar to Mrs. Ovadia in that once I knew a little bit more about what it was, I thought, “That sounds like me. That sounds like something I would want to do.” But for me, it was a little bit more of a personal reason. I had someone in my family who I felt needed somebody to talk to and I realized I could be that person to somebody. From there, I realized I wanted to be somebody to talk to, for all those in need. 

Gianna: So adding on to that, what advice would you give to people who are considering going into social work?

Mrs. Ovadia: I think one of the nicest things about social work is that you have a lot of options. So when you get your masters in social work, you can work in a variety of settings. You’re not locked into a specific setting. I personally have worked in other settings like hospitals and agencies but I really enjoyed working in high schools so I stuck to that but I do like the fact that you have a lot of versatility. I also really liked that I had a psychology degree because it was a little bit of a different perspective and the school I went to undergraduate was much more behavioral whereas when I went to graduate school, it was more clinical. I felt that having that psych background gave me a broader perspective and I felt like doing two years in grad school allowed me to get more experience by the time I was in the field. 

Gianna: What different perspectives come from studying psychology and social work and how do they differ?

Mrs. Ovadia: Psychology is more about the person and the individual. Social work takes in the environment so you are not just looking at the person, you are also looking at the person in their environment. 

Ms. Hernandez: With social work you have to really take into consideration what their family situation is like, where they live, like who knows what is going on in their lives. We have to look at the bigger picture. For example, if a student is struggling, it may not be the class, it may be a circumstance like not having food at home or familial issues. 

Mrs. Ovadia: Their family could be going through a difficult time and they can't focus. There is a lot of overlap between psychology and social work so I wouldn’t say they are entirely two different things.

Gianna: Have you seen the field of social work evolve over time? Maybe a difference in social work and its focus?

Mrs. Ovadia: Well I am going to answer not just in social work but my role in the school has changed a lot. When I was first hired, I was meant to do more substance abuse prevention work and that was our main focus. Over the years, it is much more focused on mental health issues and general mental health issues. Not that substance abuse is no longer an issue, but it is no longer the primary problem in the school. It’s just one of many issues that people may face. Since COVID, I think people are becoming much more aware of mental health and it is not as stigmatized. 

Gianna: That’s interesting. I also had another question about COVID and the work being done and how it may have changed your role in the school.

Ms. Hernandez: I think that’s the biggest problem right now that is coming more into light. Any kind of social issues that students have may be because of COVID. And in academics, having classes online and being expected to hand in work once or twice a week is very different from now with having assignments everyday and going to school everyday. It’s difficult so we have definitely seen an increase of anxiety in classrooms because of that as well as outside of the classroom.

Gianna: This is a sort of more general question but do you have a favorite memory at North?

Mrs. Ovadia: As far as in the school, I think getting involved with the World of Difference program. And you know I always say that but I mean it. That has been my most rewarding part is bringing the program into the district and being involved with it every year. Not only are we making a difference in the lives of the students that we see but we are also making a difference in the lives of the students who are seen by our peer leaders. You know, the trickle effect. And I like my peer leaders, a lot!

Ms. Hernandez: As a part of my work, I work with the “English as a New Language” students and before I came here, they were working with a psychologist who happened to speak Spanish. So when I arrived, everyone was very much like, “I am glad you are here because we need someone to support these students that only speak this language.” So I think one of my favorite memories is being able to step into that situation where they needed to talk to somebody and find support outside of school. They were able to come for support, making it easier for students who couldn’t speak to others because of language barriers to have someone to talk to. But also, the team. That’s one of my favorite memories. Having a team. So I came from a hospital setting where everyone worked in a team. Coming to North, I felt the same level of camaraderie and was able to talk to Ms. Sellers or Mrs. Ovadia or any of the psychologists if I needed help. I feel really lucky to be in that environment. I really like the team approach at the school. 

I am so lucky to have gotten to talk to such amazing and inspirational individuals. Social workers and faculty members truly provide the backbone of our schools, ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, inside and out of the classroom. We wish all social workers a happy Social Worker Appreciation Month and want to continually thank them, bringing community and care to North.